Gold (XAU/USD) Gold (XAU/USD) regains ground on Friday, edging modestly higher after earlier weakness, even as a resilient US Dollar (USD) caps upside momentum. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades around $4,345, recovering from a daily low near $4,309. The precious metal briefly surged toward record highs on Thursday after US inflation data undershot expectations. However, gains quickly faded as softer inflation lifted risk appetite across equity markets and pushed Gold back within the range established earlier this week. That said, the downside appears limited, as a dovish Federal...
The S&P 500 rose in choppy trading after the Federal Reserve signaled that the risks for an economic slowdown and higher prices are increasing. The broad market index added 0.43% to close at 5,631.28, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.27% to end at 17,738.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 284.97 points, or 0.70%, and settled at 41,113.97. The 30-stock index was aided by a nearly 11% pop in Disney shares after the company reported a fiscal second-quarter earnings beat and a surprise jump in streaming subscribers. As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee held its...
The Federal Reserve kept the funds rate at 4.25%–4.50% for a third consecutive meeting in May 2025, in line with expectations, as officials adopt a wait-and-see approach amid concerns that President Trump's tariffs could drive up inflation and slow economic growth. Policymakers noted that uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further and that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen. The Fed also said that that although swings in net exports have affected the data, recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace....
US stocks were slightly higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 adding 0.2%, Nasdaq rising 0.1% and the Dow Jones increasing about 170 points, rebounding after two consecutive sessions of losses. Investor sentiment was lifted by news that official US-China trade talks are set to take place this weekend in Switzerland, with Treasury Secretary Bessent saying the meeting will focus on de-escalation rather than securing a deal. However, it could mark a first step toward resolving trade disputes and reducing tariffs. Meanwhile, traders are eagerly awaiting the FOMC decision later today, with...
The Hang Seng edged up 29 points or 0.1% to finish at 22,692 on Wednesday, aiming for the fifth straight session of gains, mainly helped by strength in property and financial stocks. Investors assessed the PBOC's plan to cut the RRR by 50bps as part of efforts to boost growth and counter trade headwinds. Meanwhile, U.S. futures jumped on bets that the Fed will hold interest rates steady for the third meeting later today, amid easing inflation and a strong labor market. Also in focus, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and trade chief Greer are set to meet with China's top economic officials in...
European stocks fell on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.2% and the STOXX 600 down 0.3%, as investors remained cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision later in the day. The central bank is widely expected to keep the federal funds rate unchanged, but all eyes will be on clues about the future path of monetary policy. Meanwhile, traders also digested a fresh batch of corporate earnings, while news that the U.S. and China will hold trade talks this week in Geneva did little to boost investor confidence. On the earnings front, Novo Nordisk shares rose more than 3%...
Japanese stocks were down after the close on Wednesday (07/05), as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transportation and Communications sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.20%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Marubeni Corp. (TYO:8002), which rose 6.39% or 162.00 points to trade at 2,698.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines Co Ltd (TYO:9201) gained 5.25% or 138.00 points to close at 2,767.50 and Sompo Holdings Inc (TYO:8630) gained 4.75% or 215.00 points to 4,745.00 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Eisai Co., Ltd....
Hong Kong markets jumped more than 2% to lead gains in Asia-Pacific after China's central bank and financial regulator announced sweeping plans to cut benchmark interest rates in a bid to shore up growth amid trade concerns. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.07%. Elsewhere, markets in the region were mostly higher after reports that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and trade representative Jamieson Greer will meet their Chinese counterparts this week. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.22% while the Topix gained 0.38%. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.32% while the small-cap Kosdaq...
The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes rose on Wednesday, with Japanese shares holding near a one-month high as optimism over potential US-China trade talks lifted market sentiment. Reports that senior US officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this week fueled hopes for easing tensions, supporting gains across global markets. Investors are also monitoring developments in ongoing bilateral US-Japan trade talks, with Tokyo aiming to finalize a deal by June. Adding to the positive tone, Japan's services PMI for April was revised up, showing the strongest increase in new...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....